Just saw this thread read the first post only. Someone might have brought this up already but...Anyways I'd go with a two handed fighter. Max str(duh), weapon training gloves, weapon spe & greater weapon spe, +5 weapon has a 20th level fighters base damage at +59 while power attacking before rolling any dice. Then vital strike and weapon properties will increase the fun. So at 20th level with the extra bump to crits...with a scythe thats +295 base damage before rolling dice. With Devastating blow this will happen most rounds. I'm sure someone beat me by a mile though.
Math: str17+2human+5level+6belt=30
Overhand chop=+20 damage with str30
Power attack=+24 with greater power attack
Weapon training=+4
Gloves of dueling=+2
Weapon & Greater Weapon spe=+4
Weapon enchance bonus=+5
Total= +59
Think thats right. Edit: Now it's right. Saw the other TH-fighter and realized my mistake. Plus awesome idea with the bloodline to get str.
I'm interested in a ranged "big hit" build. Anyone have any ideas in that regard?
Ranged usually works better due to the ability to full attack often.
Yes. Which is why I'm asking if anyone has ideas for making a "one big shot" build work.
My guess, is that the Pinpoint Targeting feat would come into play.
It might, but it doesn't look like it stacks with vital strike.
Clustershot for range.
Half elf rogue, ancestral arms: nodachi. Str as high as you can buy, int needs to be 13. Take combat expt, imp feint, power attack, and the vital strike chain. Get a wand of lead blades and you are doing 4d8 weapon dmg, crit on an 18+, static dmg from weapon enchant/ str/ power attack, and as many d6 as you can get from lvls. Since you are using imp feint, you vital strike as your standard with next to garunteed SA dice.
For a ranged one hit build i surgest Alchemist with the Explosive Missile (Discovery) ...
Feats:
Point-Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Deadly Aim
With the bombs you will not get into the damage olymp but its solid damage and you can have nice additional debuffs on every shot like trip (force bomb) or confusion (no save, for CL/rounds) or cloudkill...
Dealing solid damage and confuse your target for 8 rounds makes this a nice one shot damage build.
Breiti
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I have said before, but my preference for such builds, is to make it bring down the rolls required.
This is why the Measured Response feat is one I really like to sneak in there.
Weirdly enough though, the items and abilities that give a reroll at limited times per day, are useful for these kinds of builds.
Making that one roll count.
Oath of Vengeance Paladin with Radiant Charge
Alpha
Bomb
dot
Oath of Vengeance Paladin with Radiant Charge
Alpha
Bomb
I like the start of this, lancer mounted build, extra LoH, if only you had access to 3.5 material, Rhino's Rush or a Valorous weapon would really make this shine.
Mount builds always have squeezing problems.
Unless it's a small rider on a medium mount, it gets tricky.
Freedom of movement can fix that ideally.
There's nothing really wrong with the small guy on a medium mount since most of your damage comes from the charging feats and smites anyway.
Freedom of movement isn't free.
It also means you need room to charge, and the bigger you are, then the less likely that will be.
Mounted Builds are awesome.
It is just something to consider when choosing to run one.
Always true, though a regular pally with radiant charge and litany of righteousness will yield consistently higher damage than most other builds, though selective because of the whole evil thing.
Does Overhand Chop work when charging on a mount?
It states it works on a charge.
It should, not because it works on a charge, but because you can make it with a standard attack action (which you can do when you mount charges, while getting the benfits of a charge).
Sword Saint is hard to finagle but higher levels Iajutsu and a challenge can hit incredibly hard.
Hmm.
Overhand Chop with a Lance, whilst mounted, seems to be a road to another big hit build.
Can you use Vital Strike from the back of a charging mount?
Should work for the same reason.
Mount builds always have squeezing problems.
Unless it's a small rider on a medium mount, it gets tricky.
Doesn't Narrow Frame remove most of the issues from taking large mounts into the dungeon?
Doesn't Narrow Frame remove most of the issues from taking large mounts into the dungeon?Mount builds always have squeezing problems.
Unless it's a small rider on a medium mount, it gets tricky.
It removes the attack and AC penalties. Not the movement restriction, which prevents charging.
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The spell Lead Blades is a Transmutation effect that increases the damage dice of all melee weapons by 1 step.
The spell Animal Aspect - Gorilla Aspect is a Transmutation (Polymorph) effect that counts your unarmed strike and natural weapons as 1 step larger.
The spell Enlarge Person is a Transmutation effect that physically makes you larger.
The spell Strong Jaw increases your damage dice by 2 steps, and if the creature is already Gagantuan or Colossal, it doubles the damage dice.
The Monk’s Robe allows the Monk to treat his Unarmed Strike as if though he were 5 levels higher.What does this all mean? As a 15th level Monk/5th level Fighter your unarmed strike is 2d10 normally. According to the Large Monk damage table, a 20th level Monk (2d10) deals 4d8 points of damage with his Unarmed Strike. According to the Improved Natural Attack chart, 4d8 (large) > 6d8 (huge) > 8d8 (gargantuan). So lead blades gets you 4d8, animal aspect 6d8, enlarge person 8d8. At this point it either counts you as gargantuan even though you are large, or you can bump the damage dice up two steps. Since 8d8 > 12d8 > 16d8, either way actually ends you up at the same point.
Ashern, please don't take the following post the wrong way (as I am just about to post a build as well, men in glass houses shouldn't hurl stones and all that), but if I may point out certain points where I might have issue with your build...
1. Transmutation (Polymorph) effects don't stack with any effects that change actual size as laid out in the polymorph rules. So Enlarge person doesn't stack with gorilla aspect.
2. The stacking of lead blade and strong jaw is not readily agreed on. There are no stacking rules for static effects, and since strong jaw already makes your unarmed strikes two sizes larger, having lead blades then make them one size larger does not seem to change anything.
If I am wrong about the strong jaw and lead blades thing please let me know, as I have many drd/mnk builds that would love to use that trick.
And for the one hit DPR Olympics I submit the Conqueror Ooze.
Basically a Cave Druid transformed into a Carnivorous Crystal who multiclasses with martial artist monk (5 levels for flurry and fatigue immunity), barbarian (furious focus and vital strike feat chain) and a level of Fighter (to get greater vital strike at 20th lvl).
Druid (Cave Druid)8 / Monk (Martial Artist) 5 / Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 6 / Fighter 1
The breakdown is as follows:
1. Carnivorous Crystals do 7d8 damage with their slams
2. A casting of Strong Jaws doubles that (two size increases = double damage as per the Improved Natural attack table) to 14d8 damage
3. Greater Vital strike eventually makes that 56d8 damage
4. Furious Focus maximizes that to 448 damage
So as a standard action Greater Vital Strike Slam:
448 (base slam damage, 56d8 maximized) + 21 (1.5x Str (38, so +14 modifier) on single natural attack as per monster rules) + 5 (Enhancement bonus) + 6 (Death or Glory, taken more for the to hit boost, really, but it adds in here as well) = 480 damage, 592 on a crit
(I believe Furious Focus would maximize the crit dice as well, or is that in error?)
Benefits:
1. Medium Size
2. No Mount Required
3. Minimum Buffing (One Spell - Strong Jaws)
4. Charging not required (Standard action, usable after move. Full action if Death or Glory is to be used though)
5. Immune to Critical Hits and Sneak attacks
6. Resist Fire, Cold and Electricity 20 as per the Beast Shape IV rules
So, profit?
prototype00
An antipaladin (or a paladin against his chosen enemy for alignment channel or elemental channel) using a conductive weapon and channel smite while smiting can yield some stupid high damage for not a lot of feat investment. Give him a Spell Storing weapon on top of that and he can deliver a Vampiric Touch with the same attack. Damage scales by level, capping out at:
weapon damage + str + power attack + smite + 10 d6 touch of corruption + 10 d6 channel + 8 d6 vampiric touch.
It saddens me that there isn't a way to deliver Slay Living through the weapon, at least not that I've discovered.
Impact weapon property increases the weapon damage by one. Not sure if it stacks or overlaps with certain other spells/effects. Such as lead blades, or enlarge person. If so, it's another damage boost.
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Enlarge person can stack with Impact, as it is increasing the size of the creature/weapon.
Lead Blades does not stack with Impact, as it is dealing damage as one size larger, which both has the same terms.
If you want to try to maximize damage, Large +1 Keen Impact Bastard Sword with a fighter/barbarian.
2d8 - Large Bastard Sword
3d8 - Enlarge Person
4d8 - Impact
With the Vital Strike chain.
4x 4d8
A Barbarian with Lethal Accuracy on the crit (converts the x2 to x3).
12x 4d8
Barbarian with Furious Finish. Furious Finish maximizes all Vital Strike damage dice.
384 damage from the dice alone before modifiers (STR, Power Attack, Overhead Chop, etc).
If you have Mythic Vital Strike, then it goes into the thousands.
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Yar!
There are a few things to consider regarding the mounted Cavalier that make it more viable. As the saying goes "It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it!" ... aka: bigger isn't always better.
Halfling
Cavalier (Order of the Sword)
Strength: 18 base - 2 race + 5 levels + 5 inherent + 6 enhancement = 32
Charisma: 17 base + 2 race + 5 inherent + 6 enhancement = 30
All other stats: who cares (for this purpose anyways. On a 15 point buy, 7 in all others gets you enough for the above 17 and 18)
Recomended Traits: Fate's Favored, Axe to Grind
Must Have Feats:
- Power Attack (+18 damage)
- Furious Focus (no PA penalty on your one and only attack a round)
- Mounted Combat
- Ride-By Attack
- Wheeling Charge (charge through allies + make turns during a charge)
- Spirited Charge
- Risky Striker (halflings only, +12 damage vs larger foes)
That only takes up about half of your available feats by level 20, not including your bonus teamwork feats, so there is lots of room to play with. If this is a solo game, I recommend Leadership for a buffing cohort.
Gear:
- +5 Courageous Furious Valiant Lance. This is a +8 weapon, so there is room for things like Holy/Flaming+Corrisove/Shock+Bane/etc.
- Belt of Giant Strength +6
- Rhino Hide
- Champions Banner (increase level by +4 for Challenge bonuses)
~Mount: Riding Dog~
Strength: 13 base + 4 (level 4 bonus) + 6 animal companion advancement + 3 levels (I always put one point to int for the expanded feat potential) + 5 inherent (wishes) + 6 enhancement = 37
Recommended Mount Feats:
either
- Nimble Moves, and
- Acrobatic Steps
OR
- Improved Unarmed Strike
- Dragon Style
Nimble Moves + Acrobatic Steps lets you ignore up to 20 of difficult terrain and lets you 5' step in difficult terrain.
IUA + Dragon Style lets you completely ignore all difficult terrain but only while charging (which you're going to be trying to do all the time anyways)
Other worthwhile feats for your mount:
- Cartwheel Dodge (immediate action move when you make a reflex save)
- Wind Stance (20% concealment vs ranged attacks when you move)
Mounts Gear:
- Horsemaster's saddle (bonus to ride checks, bonus to acrobatics checks, gives your mount every teamwork feat you have)
- Belt of Giant Strength +6
What does all this give you? Well, without buffs from allies and/or cohorts, you get the following:
You can function easily in dungeons.
You can charge through allies.
You can charge through difficult terrain.
You can charge in non-straight lines (turning while charging! yay!)
You gain the following damage bonuses:
- 2H Strength bonus: +16
- PA bonus: +18
- RS bonus: +12 (vs creatures Large and larger)
- Enhancement bonus: +5
- Mounts Str bonus: +13
- Challenge: +24 +1d6
- Knights Challenge (once per day, replaces normal Challenge): +34 +1d6
- Rhino Hide bonus: +2d6
- Elemental or Holy Damage: +2d6
- Axe to Grind: +1 (as you are charging ahead, most creatures will only be threatened by you when you hit them, so we'll include this)
- Lance base damage: 1d6, 19+/x3
- Lance multiplier on a Charge: x4
So against Medium sized and smaller creatures, you will be doing: (1d6+16+18+5+13+24+1)x4+5d6 = 9d6+308 = 317 to 362. Plus you get a free combat maneuver check that does not provoke.
On a Crit it goes up to (1d6+16+18+5+13+24+1)x6+5d6 = 11d6+462 = 473 to 528.
Against Large and larger enemies, it increases to: (1d6+16+18+5+13+24+1+12)x4+5d6 = 9d6+356 = 365 to 410
On a Crit it goes up to (1d6+16+18+5+13+24+1+12)x6+5d6 = 11d6+534 = 545 to 600.
This is before buffs. I recommend the following Buffs (Need the following Allies: Bard, Ranger, Cleric, Paladin or Inquisitor, Suli race)
- Buffs include the spell Rage (while it gives a +2 to str to you and possibly your mount as well, the Courageous property increases it to +4 for you, making your pre-multiplied damage go up by +4 total (+3 from your increase x1.5, + 1 from your mount))
- The Rage spell activates the Ferocious property (increasing your weapon from +5 to +7)
- Inspire Courage (lets say it's from your cohort, to at 17th level gives a pre-multiplied +4 to damage)
- Weapon of Awe (pre-multiplied +2 sacred bonus to damage)
- Using Knights Challenge instead of Normal Challenge (add charisma bonus to damage on top of your normal challenge bonus once per day, so 24+10 = +34)
- Imbue with Elemental Might (From Suli allies only, gives you an extra +1d6 elemental damage)
- Bestow Grace of the Champion (add Smite Evil to your damage bonus as a Paladin of 1/2 caster level, so potentially as a 10th level paladin, so +10, +20 on the first hit on specific foes, pre-multiplied, of course)
- An ally wielding a bow with the Greater Designating power on it that hits your target first (this gives you a +6 moral bonus to damage against that target, which increases to +8 because of your lances Courageous property, pre-miltiplied of course)
- Moment of Greatness (double moral bonus to one roll... including your damage roll. This is best used to turn the +8 Moral bonus to damage from Greater Designating to a +16, pre-multiplied, or course)
- Ranger Ally with a Bond to his Companions sharing 1/2 his Favored Enemy bonus with you (Instant Enemy to ensure it always works on your target, +5 more damage, pre-multiplied, of course)
- An item with the spell Divine Power on it at caster level 18 for you to Use Magic Device on yourself (+6 luck bonus to damage. Fates Favored increases this to +7. Pre-multiplied, of course) - (Baring this, Prayer gives +1 luck to damage, so +2 pre-multiplied for you)
- Imbue with Aura (give you a good aura feature)
- Litany of Righteousness (debuff on target, only creatures with a good aura (class feature or subtype, not just alignment) get the double damage, hence the Imbue with Aura spell)
I've probably missed a few raw damage buffs, but lets see where the perfect conditions get us at this point...
(1d6+19+18+7+14+34+1+12+4+2+20+16+5+7)x4+6d6 = 10d6+636 = 646 to 696 (this is before applying the doubling from Litany of Righteousness)
On a crit: (1d6+147)x6+6d6 = 12d6+954 = 966 to 1026 (again, before applying the Litany doubling)
...
One hit. Highly maneuverable. Works in dungeons. Can charge through allies and can turn during the charge. Again, only one attack.
...
*ahem*
...
...halfling cavaliers rock. ^_^
~P
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I'm curious why few of these builds have featured hitting hard with a two handed reach weapon. If you're going for a "hit hard once" build, then using a reach weapon (and Combat Reflexes) will let you "hit hard once" at anything that tries to get close. That gives you multiple iterative "hit hard once" attacks.
For example, an optimized Two Hand Weapon Fighter using a polearm can hit pretty hard. Dip one level of Cleric to get the Growth domain for Quickened Enlarge Person, so you can be Large whenever you need to be. You won't do as much damage in one hit as the more exotic options (like the Druid wildshaped to Crystal Ooze form), but you will get AoOs at anything that tries to approach within 25+ feet. Versus multiple foes your damage output will be very high, and you will also be able to protect your allies.
A great sword does slightly more damage than, say, a bardiche, but the loss of AoOs does not seem worth it.
off the top of my head a kinda simple build would be a tiefling (oversized limbs) barbarian 15 / 2H fighter 5 running around with the vital strike line, PA/furious focus/furious finish feats (and maybe lunge), and the bestial leaper line and no escape rage powers
barbarian is free to AT it up, so something like urban+invulnerable is fine.
5 levels in 2h fighter nets you 3 bonus feats, overhand chop, weapon training (for glove shenanigans), and heavy armor prof (prance about in mithral fullplate and keep your movement bonus, if that tickles your fancy)
gear:
*eventual* large living steel +5 ([furious] [courageous] [impact]) bastard sword (living steel can repair itself if broken, and no oversized weapon penalty, thanks to oversized limbs)
belt of giant's str + 6
gloves of dueling
(optional)
headband of havoc
*eventual* +4 ([stanching] [heavy fortification] [determination] [rallying] [(un)righteous/unbound/vigilant (pick one)] [(greater)fire/cold/acid/electricity resitance]) mithral breastplate or mithral full-plate (try saying that ten times fast)
(said armor costs ~426,000 (~162,000g without all the energy resists)--you'll very likely never get this, but its something to shoot for. breastplate is faster (counts as light), full-plate is slightly more defensive)
something similar might be possible with straight viking fighter (lose out on weapon training, but can take the weapon focus/specialization lines to the end)
off the top of my head a kinda simple build would be a tiefling (oversized limbs) barbarian 15 / 2H fighter 5 running around with the vital strike line, PA/furious focus/furious finish feats (and maybe lunge), and the bestial leaper line and no escape rage powers
barbarian is free to AT it up, so something like urban+invulnerable is fine.
5 levels in 2h fighter nets you 3 bonus feats, overhand chop, weapon training (for glove shenanigans), and heavy armor prof (prance about in mithral fullplate and keep your movement bonus, if that tickles your fancy)gear:
*eventual* large living steel +5 ([furious] [courageous] [impact]) bastard sword (living steel can repair itself if broken, and no oversized weapon penalty, thanks to oversized limbs)
belt of giant's str + 6
gloves of dueling(optional)
headband of havoc
*eventual* +4 ([stanching] [heavy fortification] [determination] [rallying] [(un)righteous/unbound/vigilant (pick one)] [(greater)fire/cold/acid/electricity resitance]) mithral breastplate or mithral full-plate (try saying that ten times fast)
(said armor costs ~426,000 (~162,000g without all the energy resists)--you'll very likely never get this, but its something to shoot for. breastplate is faster (counts as light), full-plate is slightly more defensive)something similar might be possible with straight viking fighter (lose out on weapon training, but can take the weapon focus/specialization lines to the end)
I would not bother with Tiefling. The -2 for a large bastard sword is meaningless when you are full BaB, Not taking PA penalties do to furious focus and only one attack a round, and well only attacking once a round so you don't have to worry about -6, -12 ect attacks landing. Even with the -2 it won't be too long before you only miss on a 1.
I would not bother with Tiefling. The -2 for a large bastard sword is meaningless when you are full BaB, Not taking PA penalties do to furious focus and only one attack a round, and well only attacking once a round so you don't have to worry about -6, -12 ect attacks landing. Even with the -2 it won't be too long before you only miss on a 1.off the top of my head a kinda simple build would be a tiefling (oversized limbs) barbarian 15 / 2H fighter 5 running around with the vital strike line, PA/furious focus/furious finish feats (and maybe lunge), and the bestial leaper line and no escape rage powers
barbarian is free to AT it up, so something like urban+invulnerable is fine.
5 levels in 2h fighter nets you 3 bonus feats, overhand chop, weapon training (for glove shenanigans), and heavy armor prof (prance about in mithral fullplate and keep your movement bonus, if that tickles your fancy)gear:
*eventual* large living steel +5 ([furious] [courageous] [impact]) bastard sword (living steel can repair itself if broken, and no oversized weapon penalty, thanks to oversized limbs)
belt of giant's str + 6
gloves of dueling(optional)
headband of havoc
*eventual* +4 ([stanching] [heavy fortification] [determination] [rallying] [(un)righteous/unbound/vigilant (pick one)] [(greater)fire/cold/acid/electricity resitance]) mithral breastplate or mithral full-plate (try saying that ten times fast)
(said armor costs ~426,000 (~162,000g without all the energy resists)--you'll very likely never get this, but its something to shoot for. breastplate is faster (counts as light), full-plate is slightly more defensive)something similar might be possible with straight viking fighter (lose out on weapon training, but can take the weapon focus/specialization lines to the end)
true, but tieflings (and their suprrior aasimar cousins) have neat SLAs and their subtypes allow for them to excel at anything, as well as the usual racial bonus shtick. Though humans are still pretty boss.
True. And well there is always just flavor reasons as well. Which of course all all valid. I just would not make that choice based on the -2 is all. But it that aside its more or less the same I came up thing when I look at vital strike. I hope to get a chance to play it soon.